Capacity Investment Scheme NEM Generation

At a glance

Tender status: registrations and bid submissions are open

Tender target: 5 GW of renewable energy generation

Overview

CIS Tender 9 is seeking an indicative target of 5 GW of renewable energy generation across the NEM.

Registrations are currently open and will close on 6 July 2026. Registration is essential for Proponents to be able to submit a Bid in this Tender.

Preparing your bid

Key documents can be found in the Tender Documents tab. These include:

• The Tender Guidelines which contain all relevant information on the process and criteria for this tender, to support proponents in preparing and submitting a bid.
• The Proforma Capacity Investment Scheme Agreement (CISA).

Q&A process for proponents

A Q&A process is open and will be administered through the Online Portal. Registered proponents are able to submit questions, and a copy of Q&A responses will be available on the CIS Tender 9 Q&A page.

The Q&A process will close on 13 July 2026.

First Nations Set Aside

First Nations revenue and equity sharing in large-scale clean energy projects has the potential to deliver First Nations Communities greater and lasting economic and social benefits from Australia’s clean energy transition.

The First Nations Set Aside is designed to encourage Proponents to submit commitments in their Bids that include First Nations equity and/or revenue sharing arrangements. CIS Tender 9 is the first tender to include a First Nations Set Aside.

The generation target for the First Nations Set Aside for CIS Tender 9 is 500 MW.

The First Nations Set Aside will be subject to the assessed merit of those Projects that elect to participate in the First Nations Set Aside in the Bid Form.

This dedicated allocation, within the Tender’s overall target, will be available to Projects that put in place and can commit to implementing a First Nations Sharing Arrangement.

Projects awarded CISAs in respect of the First Nations Set Aside in this Tender Process will contribute towards the total capacity target of 5 GW. Please read the Tender Guidelines for more details.

Participation in the First Nations Set Aside is optional. Projects that do not elect to participate, or do not satisfy the qualification requirements, will not be eligible for the First Nations Set Aside. Such Projects will still be merit assessed, provided Projects satisfy the Eligibility Criteria.

Renewable Energy Transformation Agreement allocations

Previous NEM Tenders have included jurisdictional allocations according to Renewable Energy Transformation Agreements (RETAs). Proponents participating in CIS Tender 9 should be aware of updates around tender eligibility.

The maximum allocation for NSW projects has been met through previous CIS NEM generation tenders. Projects located in the NSW region of the NEM are ineligible for this Tender.

At the request of the Victorian Government, Tender 9 will limit solar-only Projects located in Victoria to a total capacity of 0.47 GW. The remaining jurisdictional allocations sought are highlighted below. The unallocated generation capacity may be awarded to Projects in a Participating NEM Region, based on the assessed merit of Projects.

About AEMO and ASL’s Role

AEMO and ASL have been engaged to support the roll-out of the Australian Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), bringing together expertise in energy markets, modelling and infrastructure finance and procurement.

ASL administers the competitive tender process and makes recommendations to the Australian Government on which projects should be awarded CISAs. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy is the ultimate decision maker on which projects are successful.